QUESTION: Is there a material I can use to repair concrete that has pitted and flaked? My steps were poured just before a rain, which dripped on them. The concrete quickly flaked away, forming large and ugly spots on the treads and the edges.It's been a couple of years, so certainly the steps must be ready for repair by now. I'd like to do something that looks good and doesn't really look like a patch job.ANSWER: It sounds to me as if just a repair won't do it. I've tried similar repairs over the years with a variety of products, and although the fixes have looked OK for a little while, they have not endured.It's like patching a roof that really should be replaced - you're simply delaying the inevitable. I'd suggest tearing the steps out and starting over.

QUESTION: We need to have someone put in a four-inch drainpipe from a well on our property, underneath the neighboring property and through to a creek, about 60 feet. The well now has a pipe running from it over land and draining into the street.We have contacted the township about it, and they've sent someone to draw up plans to see if the change is feasible. It is. The person who has drawn the plans does not do this work and suggested that we needed a "site contractor" for it.What is that? I can't find anything in the Yellow Pages or Google. Is there another name for those who do this type of work?ANSWER: They're known as drainage contractors, and they are listed as such in the Yellow Pages. Make sure the firm is licensed to work in your township, and that it is well-known to the building officials. It will make inspections and the permit process go easier.

QUESTION: We purchased a Mastercraft house built in 1929. The living room has a brick fireplace with little character. The bricks are colorless and flat-looking, and the mortar is too white.We'd seen on a recent house tour a wall where plaster had been removed and the exposed brick was varnished. The effect was striking. I'd like to put some color into the brick and tone down the mortar. Can you tell me how this is done?ANSWER: By changing the fireplace, will you be creating something that violates the architectural integrity of the house? My house, built in the same year, has a simple brick fireplace with a thick white, wooden mantel that is nothing to write home about but that fits the style and period.If you're not compromising the house's style, or if it doesn't matter to you, then I suggest picking up these two books, both by Creative Homeowner Press and likely available at Amazon.com or the bookstore. The first, "What's in Style: Fireplaces," is by Joanne Still ($12.95); the second, "Masonry" ($19.95), lists no author.Then hire a masonry contractor to do the work, but provide complete instructions; otherwise, you may not get exactly what you want.By the way, with natural-gas prices rising, I highly recommend using gas fireplaces only occasionally this winter. It is better to get your furnace tuned to tip-top condition instead and to start checking windows, doors and insulation to make sure that the house is tight, but not too tight. You need proper air exchange to maintain good indoor air quality.

Have questions for Alan J. Heavens? Send them to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19101 or e-mail him at aheavens@phillynews.com.